Prince William’s Fierce Reaction To Kate’s Topless Photo Leak Revealed

Prince William was reportedly ready to take down the press after topless photos of Kate Middleton were secretly taken and published during a 2012 vacation in France.

According to a new book, the incident highlighted his long-standing frustration with intrusive media coverage shaped by his mother Princess Diana‘s experience.

At the time, Prince William was said to have been visibly upset with the incident and reached out to his father and grandmother to alert them of his plans fight the press.

William was reportedly “ready to go to war with the press” after private photos of Kate sunbathing topless in the South of France were secretly taken and published.

The revelation comes from Russell Myers, author of “William and Catherine,” which explores how the couple has navigated challenges within the royal family.

The incident reportedly occurred in 2012, a year after William and Kate’s wedding, during a brief getaway to the Château d’Autet in Provence.

While sunbathing at the 19th-century lodge, a paparazzo captured images of Kate without her knowledge. Soon after, the French magazine Closer published the photos, shocking the couple and prompting a swift response.

According to Myers, William, horrified by “the utter violation,” immediately contacted his father, then-Prince Charles, and grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, signaling his intent to pursue legal action.

“Years before, William had gone against the grain when he warned the Fleet Street photographers that he would not tolerate a life of intrusion,” Myers explained, per Fox News Digital, noting William’s long-standing frustration with invasive media coverage, shaped by witnessing the relentless press scrutiny of his mother, Princess Diana.

The publication of the photos reportedly pushed William to adopt a firm stance against intrusive press behavior.

He instructed lawyers to seek the maximum legal damages, which were ultimately directed to charity.

While Kate remained composed in public, Palace insiders described William as visibly upset, demanding to be updated on every step of the legal proceedings.

The couple faced continued exposure, with other outlets like the Italian magazine Chi and the Irish edition of the Daily Star later publishing the images.

According to Myers, “palace staff reacted furiously, suggesting the clock had been turned back 15 years to the dark days of Princess Diana being hounded to her death by the paparazzi,” calling the coverage “grotesque and unjustifiable.”

Despite the palace’s lawsuit, Closer refused to budge, as they insisted the topless images they published were harmless and showed William and Kate in their normal life during their vacation.

“The photographs we have selected are by no means degrading,” the magazine said at the time, per The Standard. “They show a beautiful, in love, modern holidaying young couple in their normal life. The article reports on the couple’s recent stay in the South of France.”

A French court, in 2017, ultimately awarded William and Kate €100,000 [$117,892.55] in damages due to the publishing of the photos. This was a far cry from the €1.5 million [$1.7 million] the royal couple had sued for. The court also fined two staffers a combined €90,000 [$106,077.60].

The ruling is said to have “pleased” Kensington Palace and sent a clear message: William would always defend Kate’s privacy.

“[At the beginning of the relationship], she felt, ‘If I’m going to put myself forward for something like this, then I not only need the support of William, but also the support of the institution,’” the royal author, Myers, told Fox News Digital. “And as I tell in the book, William was absolutely integral to that, to say to her, ‘I will support you,’ and to have the mechanism of the palace supporting her as well.

Myers also highlighted that the strong institutional support Kate received early on set her apart from her brother-in-law, Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, who did not benefit from the same level of guidance and protection.

Today, William and Kate are parents of three children and continue to support King Charles III, navigating public duties while protecting their family life.

Sources tell Fox News Digital that the couple is particularly concerned about the king’s health following the arrest of former Prince Andrew, fearing the added stress could affect him.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said William and Catherine are “extremely concerned about the way the crisis over Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is developing and the effect this is having on the King’s health,” noting that Charles is already facing serious health challenges.

On Sunday night at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), the couple’s first public outing since Andrew’s arrest, William admitted he was not in a calm frame of mind.

When asked about watching the historical drama “Hamnet,” he said he “needed to be in quite a calm state” and would postpone viewing, reflecting the stress he is under as both a royal and BAFTA president.

Royals expert Ian Pelham Turner described William’s comment as “indicative” of the intense pressure the family is under.

He explained that the monarchy is navigating an “unprecedented crisis,” balancing “public duties whilst fighting a rearguard action over the Andrew allegations and trying to distance themselves from what Andrew has allegedly done to bring the Firm into disrepute.”

He added that the family is effectively “walking on eggshells,” aware that new allegations could emerge at any moment.

Hilary Fordwich added that declining public opinion of the monarchy is contributing to William’s stress. She noted that William and Kate’s exemplary conduct and moral integrity have been crucial in sustaining the monarchy’s credibility.

“Prince William and Princess Catherine have remained not only out of any scandal, but their conduct, sense of duty, and moral standards are impeccable. Just what will save the monarchy?” she said.